Wow - surprised this hasn't got a ton of responses. probably the regulars are tired of answering this question :-) Hahahahaha!

I'm an old guy ... have climbed for a couple of decades. I saw the "evolution" in shoe designs all the way back from when John Bachar pioneered the Fire show design - pretty much up to current. Along the way there have been some great improvements in shoes, and some horrible blunders in shoe design also. Over the years my feet suffered pretty horribly from being crammed into climbing shoes that didn't have the best anatomical design. In retrospect, it probably wasn't worth the pain that I endured :-)

So here's a simple suggestion ... Forget all the glitz about the latest greatest "stickiest" rubber, forget whoever is in the magazine adds while hanging from an upside down crack, and forget all the drama. Just go out, try on a TON of different shoes, and find a pair that really fit your feet well. It's all about a good fit to the exact shape of your feet. You want to get those shoes as close to an exact fit as possible, but not so much that it is painful. Stand up and walk around in them. You should not be in pain ... but there should not be any loose room inside the shoe either. Ask the sales attendant for the next size down (usually 1/2 size smaller), try that and see if it still works. Reject it - if it's painful. Get the closest fit that you can manage.

Everything else will take care of itself. Most rubber on climbing shoes today is pretty awesome ... compared to some of the stuff that used to exist a long time ago. :-)

I've just started to get more involved in rock climbing. Mainly bouldering but I also do a bit of crack climbing.

So I need a good pair of climbing shoes, but I'm not to sure what to look for. I want something that is of good quality, but won't cost to much. Any ideas?

And also should I get lace ups for my first shoes?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated, Thanks

1. Bouldering shoes tend to fit a little tighter since you're just doing quick stabs at a problem and then popping them off, often a softer shoe will give more sensitivity. A crack shoe is pretty much the opposite, something a little looser (but still very snug), stiff sole and sometimes a little higher.

2. There's this ancient Chinese proverb: "you get what you pay for" you can't expect top quality without paying a higher price. If there was a cheap shoe that was the best, everyone would be wearing it. That said, you're going to trash your first pair of shoes, so it's ok to get something cheap.

3. Velcro is easy on and off but lace-ups tend to offer a better fit (generally).